One year after making its fewest NFL Draft selections in franchise history (five; tied with the 2008 and 2009 classes), Minnesota owns eight picks, a total that could be increased by the compensatory formula.
That 2026 capital ought to increase the probability of the Vikings acquiring young depth in the annual event, which is imperative for a veteran-laden roster that's currently navigating salary cap constraints.
With those assets, one of the main questions to ask is what pocket of the draft (also, what positions?) could be alluring to Minnesota after the curtains close on Day 1 and Executive Vice President of Football Operations Rob Brzezinski and Head Coach Kevin O'Connell shift their focus to smart, tough, football-loving players on Days 2-3. Another way to phrase it: Which position groups have quality and quantity?
A mix of media personalities that Vikings Entertainment Network's Tatum Everett spoke with Tuesday and Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine's Radio Row analyzed the directions Minnesota could go.
Bucky Brooks and Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network both mentioned there's value in addressing the offensive line in the second/third rounds, and there'll be starter-level players up for grabs in that range.
"I think there's a really good crop of Day 2 guys," Jeremiah told Everett. "Guys that can come in and potentially start right away and be ready to roll. You look at Emmanuel Pregnon from Oregon as a really solid player, (Sam) Hecht from Kansas State is one that I really, really like. There's Gennings Dunker from Iowa I think will go somewhere, probably in the third round. But there's a lot of good options there."
Jeremiah, a former Ravens, Browns and Eagles college scout, added: "And to me, when you're picking in Day 2 and you get somebody that can start for you for the next eight to 10 years, that's a heck of a pick."
NFL Network's Charles Davis also pointed toward the trenches, and he noted there are linemen to be found on both sides of the ball in the meat of the draft. Specifically, he said it will be interesting how Minnesota approaches its offensive unit because it's "a good group that they've got going right now," but must plan for when guys are hurt; the Vikings deployed 26 different OL groupings in 2025 due to injuries.
Jaime Eisner of The Draft Network suggested Northwestern tackle Caleb Tiernan as a fit for the Vikings. Eisner described him as "a true left tackle" that's really flying under the radar through the process so far.
"I've put him in the first round of my mocks a few times," Eisner said before clarifying that the second round is a likelier destination for Tiernan. "I really like his game; he had a really solid year. I know people don't really follow Northwestern football as much as some of the bigger programs, and I'm in Chicago, so I get a chance to see him a little bit more, but that's somebody who can develop into a starting left tackle by Year 2. … To see a true left tackle that you can get outside the first round, I think is pretty rare, because you're going to see a handful of those guys go early. So he's somebody I would keep an eye on."
Lance Zierlein, who evaluates hundreds of prospects for NFL.com, wrote that Tiernan is a candidate to bump inside to guard "due to a lack of length that affects his protection projection," for what it's worth.
He discerned Tiernan has a "solid" ceiling and he probably will be a guard/swing tackle before elevating into a starter. Note: Minnesota's incumbent swing tackle Justin Skule is set to hit unrestricted free agency.
In addition to finding hog mollies outside of Round 1, Brooks pinned tight end as a position of interest for the Vikings on Day 2 because middle-of-the-field weapons "make the game easy for the quarterback."
"There's so many tight ends that are available that can make things happen," Brooks said. "From Max Klare to [Joe Royer] from Cincinnati that can make it happen, even Eli Stowers. So there's some tight ends that can get busy for the Vikings. And I think with T.J. Hockenson (and Josh Oliver, Ben Yurosek and Gavin Bartholomew under contract for next season), you just want to continue to add to that [room]."
Those three TE prospects displayed soft hands and sizable pass-game roles in college; each enjoyed a season with 50-plus catches. Klare had his sharpest year in 2024 at Purdue, logging a 51-685-4 receiving line and posted comparable stats at Ohio State in 2025 (43-448-2). Likewise, Royer, who transferred from the Buckeyes, logged 50 catches for 521 yards and three TDs two years ago for the Bearcats and tallied 29-416-4 in 2025. Stowers, who began at Texas A&M and played a little bit of quarterback across five college seasons, was productive in stops at New Mexico State and Vanderbilt, but he elevated his game to new heights with the Commodores, grabbing 111 balls for 1,407 yards and nine scores dating to 2024.
Overall, Brooks believes some not-so-flashy positions will offer significant value in the later rounds.
That's not to shortchange the depth of skill positions on Friday and Saturday of draft weekend, though.
"I think in the middle rounds — you're talking Day 2, you know, Round 2, Round 3 and the beginning of Day 3, Round 4 — there are safeties there that are high-caliber safeties," Eisner shared, arguing this draft may not be as rich in talent as some but also isn't devoid of late-rounders who will be very capable pros.
"There is a lot of cornerback depth. You might see five or six corners go off [the board] in the top 50 picks," Eisner continued. "So it's not one of those things where every position is struggling in this class, but it is definitely one where if you are looking to add some depth late, you can at [select] positions. It's just … quarterback and running back are very thin. They have a very clear [QB1 and RB1], and then there's a big gap, so it makes people think the draft isn't very good. I still think there's a lot of depth, particularly on defense and on the offensive line, that you can get those players that maybe aren't the most exciting, they maybe don't sell the most jerseys, but you can get some really good NFL players."
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler is another proponent of the Vikings targeting an o-lineman in the later rounds, although it's difficult, he said, to unearth ready-made players there; he prefers them to find "a steal."
"I would say they'd be in a good position to take somebody who's an athletic offensive lineman but maybe is a little raw," Fowler explained with an emphasis on development. "They have enough depth that they wouldn't have to start them right away, and you could work behind the scenes with them."
Furthermore, Fowler sees safety as a spot that Minnesota can afford to "replenish, get some younger pieces there" with 37-year-old Harrison Smith still weighing retirement or running it back for Year 15.
The Athletic's NFL Draft expert Dane Brugler touted safety as an underrated position this cycle and named Maryland's Jalen Huskey as a Day 3 match for Vikings Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores' system.
"He's a guy that can give you that corner/safety versatility, and you're going to get him in the sixth round," Brugler projected of Huskey, who totaled 11 interceptions with Bowling Green and Maryland.
Lastly, although Minnesota's room of receivers features arguably the Top 1-2 punch in the NFL in Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, plus pending free agent Jalen Nailor, and recently made a draft investment in Tai Felton (last year's third-round pick), it's tough not to stop and stare at the 2026 crop of wideouts.
"I think you always want to be looking at wide receivers and quarterbacks in the late rounds, because when you hit on one, you've flipped the math, because you have to pay those players so much," ESPN draft guru Matt Miller said. "You're ahead of the 8-ball there. So this year, I have 18 receivers in my top 100; it's a great wide receiver class. Whatever you need — obviously they (already) have one of the best [players] in the NFL — finding complementary pieces, finding speed players. There's a lot of those."
Jeremiah reinforced there are receivers with exciting skill sets "littered throughout this entire draft."
When he was put on the spot by Everrett to single one out as an attractive candidate for the Vikings, he did some mental water aerobics, and then he offered up a 6-foot-3 ball-tracker who flourished on a 1-11 team in the Sun Belt conference — and further impressed against stingy cornerbacks at the Senior Bowl.
"It is absolutely stacked with wideouts, so I've got so many different names, like, swimming around in my head right now," Jeremiah said. "Hold on, I'll give you one: Ted Hurst. Ted Hurst is a really, really good player at Georgia State who gives them some real vertical speed. I think he complements everything that they have there. He's a space creator for some of the guys they have working in the middle of the field."
Hurst accounted for 127 receptions, 1,965 yards and 15 touchdowns in 24 games at Georgia State, and he produced 60 catches for 1,027 yards and 10 TDs in a couple of campaigns at Division-II Valdosta State.
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